Stories this week at Wake Forest

Abstract Art Show Opens

Heralded as the “can’t miss art exhibition this year” by Forbes magazine (Aug. 24), the show “Abstract American Art of the 1930s and 1940s” opens Aug. 28 in Wake Forest’s Fine Arts Gallery. An opening reception will be held from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, in the Scales Fine Arts Center lobby. Nichols, who attended Wake Forest on a baseball scholarship, will give an 8 p.m. talk about his collection, considered one of the best and most comprehensive private collections of abstract art from this era.

High Schoolers From 35 States to Debate

Wake Forest’s debate team will host the National Earlybird Forensics Tournament Sept. 11-13. More than 160 high school debate and speech squads will arrive on Friday, Sept. 11, from 35 states to compete in the three-day season opener. They will compete in three debate categories (Championship-team, Junior Varsity-team, and Lincoln-Douglas) and seven individual categories (Impromptu, Extemporaneous, Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo-Interpretation, Original Oratory, and Congress). Competitions will take place at three venues: Wake Forest, North Forsyth High School and Mt. Tabor High School. Students will give more than 2,000 individual speeches and compete in nearly 800 rounds of debate during the weekend. Contact the News Service for a complete schedule of the weekend’s events.

Activity Fair Highlights Opportunities

Students will have the chance to choose extracurricular activities at the Student Union Activities Fair Friday, Sept. 4, from 2-5 p.m. About 30 organizations will set up tables on the Magnolia Courtyard behind Reynolda Hall. James Buckley, associate director of Benson University Center, can comment on the importance of getting involved in activities outside the classroom to make the most of the college experience.

Expert: Russian Economy

Perry Patterson, Wake Forest economics professor, can comment on Russian economic woes. Patterson has spent considerable time in Russia studying their economy and he sees this primarily as a short-term macro-economic problem. That is, “we are likely to see a return to unacceptable high rates of inflation,” says Patterson. The change of governments seems unlikely to end ongoing corruption, says Patterson. But, he does believe continued long-run progress will be made toward a successful privatized economy, as long as Russia remains open to outside influences.

Expert: the Theology of Terror

The majority of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims peacefully practice their Islamic faith and are as appalled by the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania as those of other faiths, says Islam expert Charles Kimball, religion department chair at Wake Forest. So how do extremists like Saudi exile Usama bin Ladin justify violence in religious terms? By misapplying the Koran in much the same way as others attempt to use the Bible to justify acts of terrorism, Kimball said. “You can build an argument from that for struggling in a violent military way for the forces that will try to destroy Islam,” Kimball said.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Campus Life, Events, Student